GREEN CIRCLES World Class Sustainability

WORLD CLASS SUSTAINABILITY GREEN CIRCLES World class sustainability THE MULTINATIONAL A climate neutral HEINEKEN brewery, a HEINEKEN Netherlands is the economic driving force in sustainable economy, and a pleasant living the transition process. Based upon the ambition of the environment in the Zoeterwoude region. HEINEKEN Brewery Zoeterwoude to become climate These are the ambitions that Green Circles THE neutral, new relationships are formed between the buyer is working towards. and the supplier. This will visibly change the landscape in a sustainable way. Green Circles is an initiative of HEINEKEN Netherlands, the Provincial Government of THE GOVERNMENT South Holland, and Alterra Wageningen UR. IMPACTThe Provincial Government South Holland is the With the natural environment as starting representative of public interests, land use manager and 2 point, we aim to realise our ambitions regulator. The province works towards a sustainable 3 by implementing programmes around living environment, a green economy, and a future-proof the themes energy, water, raw materials, role for businesses in the region. As a connecting force, mobility, and the living environment. OF the provincial government encourages cooperation and ensures the coordination of private and public interests. But the Green Circles collaboration doesn’t SCIENCE end here. We connect diverse parties to Alterra Wageningen UR is the source of knowledge and the initiative and our goal is to set a world expertise regarding recycling, chain cooperation, and class example in the field of sustainable COOPERATION land use innovation. Green Circles offers opportunities development. for sharing knowledge with community partners and for further research. Menko Wiersema, regional coordinator DREAM AND ACT South Holland Province “The Province of South Holland must be a Think big and Our vision is that only companies which take good area for living and working, and also sustainable development seriously for business and leisure purposes. We want take small steps will survive the test of time. This initiative to create space for economic growth and is part of HEINEKEN’S worldwide strategy: invest in improved mobility. In addition, Brewing a Better World. We focus on six we are working towards conservation In 2011 they met at the annual conference areas in which HEINEKEN can make a and development of nature and leisure ‘de middag van de blaarkop’ (afternoon of difference: sustainable water management, opportunities. A well-balanced use of space the Blaarkop): Menko Wiersema from the reducing the emission of greenhouse gasses, is an important factor. Provincial Government of South Holland sustainable and honest buying, community and Jan Kempers from HEINEKEN. They involvement, safety, and responsible alcohol As a regional government we have been discussed a project set up by Paul Opdam consumption. creating natural surroundings and leisure (Alterra Wageningen UR) about the value areas for too long without really knowing of nature for fishers, farmers, the general Within this strategy I see Green Circles as what the general public was looking for Paul Opdam, professor public, and business, and Kempers realised a fantastic collaboration which enables us in the natural environment. We have been Alterra Wageningen UR that a shared dream would benefit all not only to realise our own ambitions, but considering landscape design from a “Green Circles establishes a transition parties. also to promote other initiatives, ideas, and limited perspective, missing the optimal in sustainable land use with a double 4 developments.” and sustainable synergy between nature, purpose: making the brewing of beer 5 How dreaming of the greenest beer in the living, and working. In this collaboration greener and improving the quality of the world coincided with dreams of a green with HEINEKEN Netherlands and Alterra living environment. With Green Circles, and sustainable environment. Wageningen UR, I think that the value of Alterra Wageningen can demonstrate the nature for the economy and the benefits way in which ecosystems can contribute Jan Kempers, manager sustainable for the living environment are united in a towards regional development. Ecosystems development HEINEKEN Nederland Supply beautiful way.” are services which are freely provided “It is our ambition at HEINEKEN Brewery by nature but which at the same time Zoeterwoude to become one of the first represent economic value. We can develop climate-neutral companies. Within the vast new knowledge about cycles, chain HEINEKEN concern, the brewery is actually collaborations, and land use innovations and almost obliged to do so, not only due to the share them with partners in the community. fact that it is one of the largest breweries in the world, but also because it is located in Farmers, businesses, the general public – the concern’s motherland. The brewery has everybody has an interest in the ambitions everything required to play a leading role of Green Circles. I foresee an energetic within the concern and to set an example in social network with the development of a the business world for other companies climate-neutral brewery as a driving force.” of this scale. Success begins by cooperation “I have a dream” In the long term, HEINEKEN will only be The seed of a collaboration is sown when successful in the global market when every one person with a dream gets the chance COOPERATION glass of beer contributes to a better world. to tell others about it. The dream is further But HEINEKEN can only become more developed by talking about it and the The critical factor sustainable when neighbours, suppliers, dreamer starts taking the dream more and organisations in the surrounding area seriously. This is the moment at which others by Cees Anton de Vries, Origame work together with the company. Green stand up and say: “I have that dream too”, Circles is about sustainability, energy, or “I have another dream, but our dreams If you really want to achieve something and The great thing about cooperation is: it biodiversity, health-conscious products, can strengthen each other”. This unification you ask for help, you will receive help. is priceless (you can’t buy it), it has no water and natural cycles and above all about of dreams is the foundation under Green standard form (you can’t contract it), and cooperation. Green Circles can provide Circles: people learn to listen to themselves If you really want to achieve something it can’t be enforced (you can’t impose it or employment, a sustainable landscape, and and to others, and subsequently roll up their and you find someone who wants to do instate it by power). Cooperation is always innovations in sectors such as agriculture, sleeves and start working together. Then, the same, then you have a colleague or a equal, symmetrical, and reciprocal and energy, and transport. A project on this colleagues start recognising the added competitor. can’t be planned, managed, or subsidised. scale begins with people learning to work value and step by step a whole organisation Cooperation is most enjoyable, and most together. People from HEINEKEN, the follows. If you find someone who shares your dream effective, when it takes place between municipality, farming, the water board, the and also values you for who you are, then people who are different to yourself. transport company, the regional province, For good beer, HEINEKEN already needs 6 you have the beginning of cooperation. Cooperation actually makes ‘difference’ environmental associations, and from quality hop, clean barley, pure water, and 7 productive. Not as a goal in itself, but as universities; people in Zoeterwoude and renewable energy. To supply good beer in the result of people doing their best. And Leiden. the future, HEINEKEN needs to collaborate once you have experienced cooperation, you with others: the critical factor within Green know that it can be an important Circles. basis for safety, success, and innovation. THE POWER OF NATURE MOBILITY Five themes A sustainable society thrives on renewable energy sources and LIVING organises its material flows in Making mobility and logistics cycles, comparable to a natural more sustainable ENVIRONMENT ecosystem. Ecosystem services WATER The brewery has an extensive are at the heart of Green Circles. logistics chain, both for In this way, nature is connected the supply of ingredients to private and public interests. and packaging and for the RAW MATERIALS transportation of products 8 In order to create a truly worldwide. Green Circles aims to Improving the living 9 sustainable region we have to Ensuring sufficient good apply innovative solutions with environment and work on diverse areas at the drinking water regard to both flow of goods strengthening biodiversity same time. The partnership ENERGY The availability of sufficient clean to and from the brewery and Green Circles creates an concentrates on five themes. drinking water in the future is a the brewery’s accessibility for environment in which living, common interest within Green employees. working, and recreation are Circles. Working with parties Completing connected in an attractive way. which form the water chain, raw material cycles Green Circles aims to make use of Green Circles aims to make water A future-proof economy natural processes for the benefit Promoting sustainable energy flows more efficient, introduce deals with raw materials in a of economic value-creation, and reducing greenhouse natural water purification, and circular way. Green Circles is sustainability, and quality of the gas emissions reuse waste water. researching how the waste and living environment. HEINEKEN Brewery Zoeterwoude by-products from the brewery, currently uses natural gas and such as residual waste flow, spent electricity. Green Circles is grain, or phosphates, can be researching the opportunities for reintroduced into the cycle. renewable and climate-neutral energy sources such as wind energy and biogas. ENERGY Short term ROAD Four wind turbines on the brewery site. TRANSPORT • Green Circles strives towards sustainable • Feasibility studies for sustainable heating BARLEY HARBOURS location management with the HEINEKEN for the brewery.

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